1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to mooring bumpers and fenders.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Mooring bumpers and fenders have been employed to protect deck pilings and piers as well as the sides of boats from damage caused by inadvertent contact of the boat with the piling as the boat enters a boat well or while the boat is moored in the boat well.
Typically, an elongated, wooden plank is attached to the piling above water level and extends the entire length of the boat well to distribute any force of impact by a boat along the entire length of the plank rather than on a single piling. This is done to prevent damage to the piling and to the sides of the boat itself. However, such planks are heavy and lack sufficient cushioning characteristics to absorb impact without damage to the boat. Further, unless other protective measures are taken, such wooden planks are susceptible to deterioration due to exposure to the wet marine environment thereby requiring frequent replacement.
To overcome these problems, it has been proposed to construct such bumpers from resilient material, such as rubber, etc. Attachment of such bumpers to dock pilings or piers is achieved by means of lines or ropes which are secured at one end to each piling and either tied around the bumper or secured through a bore formed at predetermined locations in the bumper and knotted at one end. However, the spacing between pilings is not always uniform such that the connection to the bumpers may vary from dock to dock thereby requiring a bumper to be specifically constructed for each particular dock.
Variable length bumpers formed of a plurality of interconnectable, identical members have also been proposed. However, such variable length bumpers are mounted on the boat rather than the dock and require time consuming assembly and positioning on the boat each time the boat approaches a dock.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a marine bumper which overcomes the deficiencies encountered in previously devised marine bumpers. It would be desirable to provide a marine bumper which can be easily constructed in any length to suit any length of dock or boat well. It would also be desirable to provide a protective marine bumper which is formed completely of waterproof materials for a long, useful life. It would also be desirable to provide a marine bumper which can be easily disassembled for storage in a compact form or for ease of transport. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a marine or dock well protective bumper which is resilient and yet strong enough to resist damage caused by impact of a boat thereon.